I imagine James Still in his little shack with his typewriter and a big burden on his heart. Now, I’m sure he had more than one burden, but I can’t help but notice all the descriptions of the physical beauty of Appalachia. So, I think one of those burdens must have been planting a love for his home in the heart of his readers. He did this through the perspective of a tenderhearted seven year old boy and his five year old little brother. In this analysis I will compare the two boys’ perspectives of Appalachian nature and how it affected their lives.
In the book “River of Earth”, James Still describes Appalachian nature in a pleasing romantic bias by describing the beauty of the hills, trees, and vegetation. Examples of this is are all throughout …show more content…
This takes his interests away from nature and more towards his sustaining skills. An example of how he explains the Appalachian nature is in chapter 2, page 99, “FALL had been dry and the giant milkweed pods broke early in September. Lean Neck Creek dried to a thread, and all the springs under the moss were damp pockets without a sound of water.” (Still). Fletch’s description of nature differs from his older brother in that he uses an informative view instead of poetic view. We see this in the quote above as he talks about the conditions of the land rather than its …show more content…
I won’t quote the entire poem because it’s too long but the entirety of the piece is that nothing last forever, not our beliefs, not love, or even the beautiful Appalachian hills. But what we can do is live through it as its happening. “You are the girl I choose to be my bride/ You are the girl that I could love forever…say not the youth in spring will bloom forever… say not the birds of spring will sing forever/ They’ll chirrup lonely on the winter bough… Strong bodies will deteriorate by inches/ And stalwart trees will spring up from their bosoms.” (Stuart, 1-2, 15, 17-18, 21-22).
Stuart draws a great deal of inspiration from the Appalachian hills to convey his message about the short duration of life. This in itself can give a greater insight to how much the Appalachian nature effects those who have lived there no matter ones perspective. In conclusion, regardless of my literary analysis of “River of Earth”, James Still will always be accredited for bringing the working class Appalachians out of the dark and into the public’s eye. I believe the quotes from the book portray both brothers love for the Appalachian nature in different ways. Each type of love is needed to accurately portray the Appalachian hills, and I believe Still knew this for
In the book “River of Earth”, James Still describes Appalachian nature in a pleasing romantic bias by describing the beauty of the hills, trees, and vegetation. Examples of this is are all throughout …show more content…
This takes his interests away from nature and more towards his sustaining skills. An example of how he explains the Appalachian nature is in chapter 2, page 99, “FALL had been dry and the giant milkweed pods broke early in September. Lean Neck Creek dried to a thread, and all the springs under the moss were damp pockets without a sound of water.” (Still). Fletch’s description of nature differs from his older brother in that he uses an informative view instead of poetic view. We see this in the quote above as he talks about the conditions of the land rather than its …show more content…
I won’t quote the entire poem because it’s too long but the entirety of the piece is that nothing last forever, not our beliefs, not love, or even the beautiful Appalachian hills. But what we can do is live through it as its happening. “You are the girl I choose to be my bride/ You are the girl that I could love forever…say not the youth in spring will bloom forever… say not the birds of spring will sing forever/ They’ll chirrup lonely on the winter bough… Strong bodies will deteriorate by inches/ And stalwart trees will spring up from their bosoms.” (Stuart, 1-2, 15, 17-18, 21-22).
Stuart draws a great deal of inspiration from the Appalachian hills to convey his message about the short duration of life. This in itself can give a greater insight to how much the Appalachian nature effects those who have lived there no matter ones perspective. In conclusion, regardless of my literary analysis of “River of Earth”, James Still will always be accredited for bringing the working class Appalachians out of the dark and into the public’s eye. I believe the quotes from the book portray both brothers love for the Appalachian nature in different ways. Each type of love is needed to accurately portray the Appalachian hills, and I believe Still knew this for